Sàngódáre Gbádégesin Àjàlá
Sàngódáre Gbádégesin Àjàlá (1948–2021) was a Nigerian artist who specialized on hand-painted textiles.[1][2] His work was shown at the central exhibition of the 60th Venice Biennale in 2024.[3]
Àjàlá was an ethnic Yoruba. He did not receive any formal education and was self-taught. For a long time, he lived in the house of Susanne Wenger and considered her his adopted mother.[4] Àjàlá's main profession was a priest of the god of Shango.[5] As such, Àjàlá had extensive knowledge of traditional Yoruba dyes, and he used it in his batiks, sometimes employing up to 35 colors.[2]
In 2014, a 25 feet (7.6 m) long batik Oro Sise:The Initiation by Àjàlá was bought and exhibited by the Saïd Business School at University of Oxford.[5]
References[edit]
- ^ "Venice Biennale 2024". Universes.art.
- ^ a b Fejzula, Merve. "Ṣàngódáre Gbádégẹsin Àjàlá". Venice Biennale.
- ^ "60th Venice Biennale: A Venice Guide to Art from Africa and the Global Diaspora". Contemporary And.
- ^ Walker, Andrew (10 September 2008). "The white priestess of 'black magic'". BBC.
- ^ a b "Nigerian artwork displayed at Oxford University's Saïd Business School". Modern Ghana. 9 May 2014.